I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to allocation of storage space. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus method for storing groups of data on one or more storage media.
II. Description of the Related Art
Digital Cinema systems deliver full-length motion pictures, trailers, advertisements and other audio/visual “cinema-quality” programs to theatres throughout the world using digital technology. Digital Cinema systems deliver motion pictures that have been digitized, compressed and encrypted to theatres using either physical media distribution (such as DVD-ROM's) or electronic transmission methods, such as satellite.
Authorized theatres automatically receive the digitized programs and store them, typically while still encrypted and compressed. At each showing, the digitized information is retrieved using a local area network from the storage medium, then is decrypted, decompressed and displayed using cinema-quality electronic projectors featuring high quality digital sound.
The theatre operator stores the variety of programs received on magnetic storage devices, such as hard disks. Programs are typically stored sequentially and are often erased and reloaded, depending upon the need at given auditoriums at given times. Also, when new programs are received, old programs are erased.
As the cycle of storing and erasing programs continue, hard disks tend to fragment. Smaller files, such as management files and trailers, are subject to greater fragmentation. Fragmented feature files pose performance problems, as such files may need to be accessed in time critical ways. Further, general defragmenting of hard disks take place over the entire disk, and therefore, are more time consuming.
Moreover, some features and trailers require storage space that consumes more than one hard disk. Thus, when creating a playlist of programs to be displayed, it is not clear on which part of a hard disk or which hard disk given programming resides. Consequently, there is a need in the art for an apparatus and method for organized storage of groups of data on storage media.